


Ghost

by Reddxn



Category: Bandom, Green Day, My Chemical Romance
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, I apologise for my brain, This is honestly so weird
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-31
Updated: 2016-12-31
Packaged: 2018-09-13 18:07:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9135397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reddxn/pseuds/Reddxn
Summary: Instead of actually attending his classes, Gerard spends his days sitting in the library with Billie. Billie's always been a little odd, he's different than the other kids, but Gerard has no idea just how different his friend really is.





	

“How come you never go to class?”

It’s a question Gerard has been wanting to ask his friend for a while. He never sees Billie in any of his classes, and no one else has ever mentioned him being in their classes, either. The only time Gerard sees Billie is when he’s drawing in the library, having either walked out of class or been kicked out for being a brat. “Well, ya know, I can’t be doing with all that shit.”

The answer is so typical and Billie-like that Gerard laughs out loud. Of course Billie thinks classes are shit; he thinks everything is shit apart from Gerard and music. “Hey!” Billie grins, leaning across the table and slapping Gerard lightly on the arm. “You’re never in class either.”

“Am too!”

“Are not!”

“Am too!”

“Okay, so how come you’re in here now, then?” Billie smirks. “I’m pretty sure lunch ended twenty minutes ago, and when lunch ends, you’re supposed to go to class. I might not go to class, but I’m not dumb. I know how the school system works."

Gerard rolls his eyes. "I don't go to class because the stupid bastards keep kicking me out."

"Yeah, because you don't know how to behave!" Billie shoots back playfully, laughing. 

The two of them have been like this ever since they met, at least a month ago now, always jokingly insulting each other and making fun of each other. It was odd at first; Gerard doesn't talk to many people, let alone strangers, but when he walked into the library that day and saw Billie for the first time, sitting at the table they're sitting at now, he felt an unnatural urge to speak to the boy. That urge hasn't gone away, either; they can spend hours alone together, talking about anything and nothing and everything in between. They only ever talk in the library, though, which is strange as they're not supposed to be talking in there at all. Gerard doesn’t see Billie anywhere else.

All of a sudden, Billie gets to his feet and announces he's going to find something to read. Gerard sarcastically asks him if he even knows how to read and gets a pencil thrown at him in return, which he supposes he deserves. As Billie disappears into the many bookshelves, Gerard recalls the first time he saw him, at least a month ago now. He had walked into the library with his sketchpad tucked under his arm and his headphones around his neck, intent on focusing on all the half finished drawings and doodles that littered the pages. He took his usual place in the soft chair at the end of the table right at the back of the library, hidden amongst the hundreds of bookshelves, and opened his sketchpad. He felt someone watching him before he even looked up. When he did, he noticed a pale, scrawny boy with fluffy, black hair and forest green eyes sitting directly opposite him. The two of them had stared at each other for the longest time before Billie finally spoke, nodding towards Gerard’s drawings. “Hey, that’s pretty good.”

With Billie lost in between the hordes of books, Gerard turns his attention down to his sketchpad. However, he doesn't get to draw anything as the librarian materialises next to him and looks down at him with her usual disapproving, sulky glare. She peers at him over the top of her glasses and waits for him to speak. She never speaks first, she always waits to hear an excuse. "I'm just drawing." Gerard says with a sigh, although he tries not to let too much of his foul attitude slip into his words.

"Yes, I can see that." The librarian replies. "But you're supposed to be in class, Mr Way, this is a school, after all. I've told you this seven times this week, and it's only Wednesday."

Gerard smirks to himself as he gathers his things. He packs his headphones into his bag and shoulders it and tucks his sketchpad under his arm as he looks around for Billie. His friend is nowhere to be seen. He wants to tell him he'll see him tomorrow, but the librarian is right there and she’s watching his every move and he can't be doing with yet another detention, so he leaves. He'll see Billie tomorrow anyway. He always does.

 

* * *

 

 

Gerard next sees Billie the following afternoon, as he knew he would. He’s at the usual spot, reading something about vampires. As Gerard approaches, having decided to skip English, Billie looks up. “Has anyone ever told you you look like a vampire?” He asks. “Ya know, with the black hair and pale skin and all that.”

“And the fact that I suck blood?” Gerard adds sarcastically as he collapses into his seat and opens his bag. “Yeah, people have mentioned it. Four or five thousand times.”

He takes out his sketchpad and begins drawing Billie as Count Dracula, for lack of anything else to draw, grinning at the impressed noises that his friend makes. Billie wanders off at one point, claiming he’s bored of vampires and wants to find a book on dragons, for some reason. Gerard finishes his latest masterpiece and looks down at it, tilting his head different angles. It looks good, he thinks, without sounding big-headed. Well, it’s not his drawing that looks good, it’s Billie. Billie would look good as anything, Gerard bets, even as Count Dracula. He’s finished his drawing by the time Billie returns, a pile of books in his arms. “Do you think dragons are real?” He asks as he sits down.

Billie’s forever asking strange questions. Gerard has long since learned to just go with it. “I dunno.” He shrugs. “I guess they could be.”

“I think they are.” Billie says firmly. “Maybe they’re under the sea. They haven’t explored most of that yet, maybe dragons are sea creatures.”

Gerard nods silently, wondering why Billie is worrying about the reality of dragons. Surely he has other things to think about, like his classes? Gerard smiles to himself when he remembers Billie doesn’t go to classes. His happiness doesn’t go unnoticed. “What are you beaming for?” Billie asks curiously.

“Oh, I was just wondering why you’re talking about dragons when you should be focusing on studying. We have finals coming up, you know?”

Billie bursts out giggling, so loudly that Gerard fears the librarian will turn up and turf him out again. Surprisingly, she doesn’t. “Finals?” Billie wheezes through his fit of laughter. “I can’t be thinking about that! They don’t matter to me!”

“What does matter to you?”

Billie is quiet for a long, long time. Eventually, the corners of his mouth twitch into a small, shy smile and he says, “you do.” Completely ignoring the shocked look on Gerard’s face, he continues, “can you draw a dragon for me? I wanna stick it on my wall. It’ll be my only reminder of you when you’re off at your fancy art school and I’m still stuck here.”

Gerard doesn’t comment on his previous statement or the slightly depressing statement regarding his future. Instead, he nods in response to his friend’s bizarre question and gets to work. It doesn’t take him long once he hangs his headphones around his neck and starts playing some music, although he does occasionally get distracted by Billie singing along and dancing about like an idiot. An adorable, loveable idiot. The dragon takes up an entire A3 page in his sketchpad. It’s red and monstrous looking, with hundreds of razor-sharp teeth and narrow, yellow eyes. Gerard knows Billie likes it because he stares it for ages, taking in every little detail. Gerard has never ripped a page out of his beloved sketchpad in his life, but he tears the drawing out without a trace of hesitation. For Billie.

“Hey, do you wanna come up to the roof with me for a bit?” Gerard asks once Billie has finished admiring his new picture, shutting his sketchpad and shoving it back into his bag. He takes his headphones off from around his neck and puts them away, too. “I need a cigarette and it’s fucking hot in here.” He stretches as he gets to his feet.

He can’t quite figure out the look that ghosts across Billie’s face then. He looks… sad, maybe, or regretful. He stares down at his the drawing for a while before he tucks it inside his jacket and flashes Gerard a grin. “Nah, I’m gonna stay in here. I’m pretty well-known around these parts, they’ll go wild if they see me. It’s what comes with fame, you see.”

Gerard chuckles. “Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, Mr Rockstar.”

“No, really,” Billie says seriously, so seriously that Gerard wonders if he’s speaking to the same person, “I’m famous around these parts. Ask anyone.” He winks and wanders off, back in between the shelves.

Gerard is sure Billie is just fucking around, as he always is, but there’s an underlying urgency to his voice that makes Gerard stop and think for a minute. That would explain the strange looks he gets and the way everyone looks at each other whenever he mentions his name. Gerard does what he always does when he wants something answered; he goes to his brother.

 

* * *

 

 

Mikey is in the library, standing a little way behind Gerard and Billie’s table, much to Gerard’s annoyance as he’s spent the past half an hour searching the entire school for him. He’s engrossed in a book as Gerard sidles up to him and taps him on the shoulder. Mikey whips around, a little jumpy, but he visibly relaxes when he sees who it is. “Oh, Gerard. What’s up?”

“Billie Joe Armstrong.” Gerard says, getting straight to the point. “You ever hear that name?”

Mikey frowns. He looks like he can’t believe Gerard is asking this question. Gerard can’t understand why, though; does Mikey know Billie? Are they friends? Mikey’s never mentioned Billie before. Hell, Billie’s never mentioned Mikey before. Gerard doesn’t have long to trouble himself with his thoughts, though, as Mikey decides to reply. “Billie Joe Armstrong?” He repeats incredulously, voice barely above a whisper as if he doesn’t want to be overheard. “I- yeah, Gerard, of course I’ve heard of him. Everyone has.”

That last statement confuses Gerard greatly. _Everyone has._ What the hell is that supposed to mean? Why can’t Mikey just speak normally, for fuck sake? Gerard sighs in frustration. “What do you mean ‘everyone has’? Mikey, what’s going on?”

Mikey also sighs irritably and latches onto Gerard’s sleeve. Gerard attempts to pull away, but not before Mikey can drag him over to a more secluded area of the library. Gerard glances back at his and Billie’s table, but Billie has vanished. He’s probably still in between the shelves, looking for another book. The few students still hanging around give the brothers odd looks as Mikey forces Gerard down into a seat and perches himself on another. “Gerard, what’s wrong with you? Why the hell are you asking questions about _him_?”

Him? Billie? Gerard is at a loss for words. Why is Mikey talking about Billie like that? “Mikey, please, just answer a question normally!” Gerard pleads with his brother, feeling his patience slipping away. “All I wanna know is, what’s the big deal about him?”

“What’s the big deal about him? _What’s the big deal about him?_ ” Mikey hisses. “Gerard, wh- wha- have you ever attended a history class in the school, like ever?”

Gerard nods, dumbstruck. “I- yeah, of course I have! Well… a few. Okay, so not that many, but I’m not stupid, Mikey!”

“Then you should know the story!” Mikey snaps. “Seriously, try paying attention once in a while. Billie Joe Armstrong was the school shooter, remember?”

What Mikey said doesn’t register. “What?”

“Really, Gerard?” Mikey huffs. “Three years ago, when Billie Joe Armstrong was a freshman, he walked in here and sat at that table.” He gestures behind him at the table. “He pulled out a six-gun and shot four kids. He killed them. The cops were called and they found him still sitting there but before they could arrest him, he shot two of them. He said the man in his head told him to. Apparently, he had a history of violent and unpredictable behaviour. He was crazy.”

Gerard certainly doesn’t remember hearing anything about Billie being a school shooter, so he stares at Mikey for what has to be at least a full minute. Mikey stares back, clearly getting annoyed. “Bullshit!” Gerard snaps. “No way in hell is he a fucking school shooter! Mikey, he’s not a school shooter, Jesus fucking Christ!”

“No, Gerard, I’m totally fucking serious!” Mikey sounds angry now, which confuses Gerard. “He shot four kids and two police officers with a six-gun right here in the library!”

If Mikey wasn’t acting so abnormally hostile, Gerard would laugh it off and tell him to stop bullshitting. However, Mikey is acting abnormally hostile, which means only one thing; he’s telling the truth. Gerard’s eyes widen. “What? You’re serious? No! No way! That can’t be right!”

When Mikey nods, Gerard snorts. “You mean to tell me that skinny, defenceless Billie shot and killed six people? Two of which were cops?” There’s something about this story that isn’t making sense to Gerard.

Well, to tell the truth, the whole entire story doesn’t make sense to Gerard, not one bit. If Billie really did shoot up a school, then what the hell is he doing sitting in the library, a few metres away? Surely he should be locked up in some maximum security prison? All the times Gerard has spoken to him, he’s never shown any signs of the “violent, unpredictable behaviour” that Mikey mentioned. In fact, the most violent he’s ever been is probably lightly slapping Gerard or throwing pencils at his head, which isn’t exactly psychopath behaviour. “You don’t believe me?” Mikey questions with a raise of one eyebrow.

“Not one bit.” Gerard responds honestly.

“Gerard, I’m telling you the truth!” Mikey insists. “Why the hell would I make something like this up?”

“Answer this, then!” Gerard demands. “If Billie’s really some psychopath that murders people because the man in his head tells him to, why’s he still walking around the school like nothing happened? I mean, wouldn’t they lock him up somewhere he couldn’t get out? And wouldn’t it be far away from the school that he shot up?”

Mikey freezes. Just freezes. He can’t seem to grasp what Gerard has just said. His eyes are almost popping out of his skull and he’s gripping his book so tightly that his knuckles have turned freakishly white. “I, uh, I think you might be confused with someone else. Billie’s not walking around anywhere anymore.” He says quietly, pushing his glasses up his nose and turning away. “Just go back to class. Let me finish reading.”

Gerard doesn’t go back to class at all. He grabs his brother’s shoulder and whirls him around. “No, Mikey, I’m definitely not thinking of someone else. I’m thinking of Billie. You know, small and pale, black hair and green eyes?” He looks over at the table and is delighted to see his friend is back, flicking through a big, old book. “Look, turn around. He’s sitting right there, with the book. You see him?”

Gerard expects Mikey to look over at Billie and drop the matter, but that’s not what happens at all. Mikey does look over at Billie, but he doesn’t see him. “What? Where?”

Gerard points. “Right there!” He exclaims in exasperation. “You need some new glasses, Mikey. He’s sat _right there_! At the end of the table!”

And that’s when Mikey rips himself from his brother’s grip with a horrified look on his face. Gerard’s never seen him like this before. He looks… scared. “Gerard… Gerard, there’s no one there.” He breathes. “The table’s empty.”

It sounds so cliché, like a dumb horror movie. Gerard snorts loudly, wondering why the hell Mikey is acting like a complete and utter fucking dumbass. “Mikey, look. The boy at the end of the table. That’s Billie, he’s my friend. He isn’t a psycho school shooter, okay?”

Billie looks up then and grins at Gerard, beckoning him over. Gerard holds up a finger, telling his friend to give him a minute. “Look, see? He’s calling us over. Come on, come and meet him. He’s really nice.”

“Gerard,” Mikey says slowly, beginning to back away, “Gerard, are you okay? I mean, are you really okay? And don’t just say yes for the sake of it, because I’m really, genuinely worried about you right now.”

Gerard nods furiously. “Yes!” He all but shouts. “What the hell is wrong with you? I’m fine, why wouldn’t I be?”

Mikey leans forwards so his face is right next to Gerard’s. He opens his mouth and his voice comes out so hushed and quiet that Gerard has to strain his ears to hear. “I promise you there is no one there.”

The seriousness of his tone and the frenzied look in his eyes tells Gerard that his brother is completely serious. He’s not fucking around, he’s not joking, he’s not being an idiot. He’s serious. There’s no one there. He can’t see Billie. “What?” Is all that Gerard can think to say.

His mind is in a whirl; is he insane? Is he seeing things, hallucinating? Is Billie just part of his imagination? No, he can’t be. Billie has slapped him before, threw pencils at his head. He’s _real_. He has to be. “Gerard…” Mikey begins to speak again, “after Billie shot those people, he shot himself in the head. He’s been dead for three years, now.”

Gerard would be lying if he said he wasn’t terrified. Absolutely fucking terrified. He’s been talking to a dead boy for an entire month, what the fuck is wrong with him? He can’t think straight, can’t see straight. He can barely even breathe anymore. He looks past Mikey’s immensely troubled expression and to the pale, scrawny boy with fluffy, black hair and forest green eyes sitting at the table. His _friend._ Slowly, Billie turns to him and smiles that warm, familiar smile of his. This time, Gerard doesn’t smile back.


End file.
